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I am a big fan of DIA.  It is a very nice alternative to Visio, and in my opinion more versatile.  I make network diagrams with this utility all of the time for teaching and documentation.

If you are using Mac Operating System Yosemite and can no longer use Dia , whereby the Dia icon, appears and then disappears or  jumps up & down and does nothing, there is a fix posted on October 29th, 2014.

Here is what Navkirats writes:

• Goto your Applications directory where Dia.app exists (mine was located at: /Applications)
• Right click the icon and click on Show Package Contents
• Goto the directory Dia.app/Contents/Resources/bin
• Edit the file dia, in your favourite text editor.
• After line 39, add the line: export DISPLAY=:0
• Save and exit.
• Close XQuartz if its running.
• Now Dia should come up.
• If it does not come up, try restarting your computer.
• If not, try and add the line – export DISPLAY=:0 to your ~/.bash_profile, re-login and hopefully you should have Dia working once again.

SOURCE CITED:  http://navkirats.blogspot.com/2014/10/dia-diagram-mac-osx-yosemite-fix-i-use.html.  

Due to a major increase in MBR (sector 0) rootkits/bootkits over the past several months, I felt it would be beneficial to share some effective methods to get rid of MBR root/bootkits infecting Windows XP Operating Systems:

Boot your computer from the windows xp and choose to enter the recovery console. Once you’re inside the recovery console issue the following command and press enter:

FIXMBR

{Reboot}

For Windows 7 or Vista:  Boot your computer from the Windows 7 or Vista disc. Choose to repair your computer. Choose the Command Prompt option (near the bottom). Enter the following command and press enter:

Bootrec /FIXMBR

{Reboot}

After the computer is rebooted, install and run a scan with an updated version of Malwarebytes, and whatever antivirus (I suggest Kaspersky Internet Security).  Quarantine and then remove whatever they find.

Here are two articles from Microsoft concerning the recovery console and bootrec:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392 – Windows 7 and Vista Bootrec.exe Documentation

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058 – Windows XP Recover Console Documentation

You can make windows vista and windows 7 treat a networked location as a local resource. The way to do it is with symbolic links.

Here is an example:
———————————-
Create a symbolic link with mklink at cmd prompt.
MKLINK [[/D] | [/H] | [/J]] Link Target

/D Creates a directory symbolic link. Default is a file
symbolic link.
/H Creates a hard link instead of a symbolic link.
/J Creates a Directory Junction.
Link specifies the new symbolic link name.
Target specifies the path (relative or absolute) that the new link
refers to.
————————————-
cmd: mklink /D C:\Libraries\Movies \\Other-PC\Movies

output: symbolic link created for
C:\Libraries\Movies <<===>> P:\Movies

In this example I have taken a networked resource
(“\\Other-PC\Movie”) and mapped it to the local path (“C:\Libraries\Movies”). Windows will now redirect any I/O from this location to the network location. Applications treat symbolic links as local resources.

Reset your Internet Explorer settings.  To use the Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature from Control Panel, follow these steps:

1. Exit all programs, including Internet Explorer (if it is running).

click Start Collapse this imageExpand this imageType the following command in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER:

inetcpl.cpl

The Internet Options dialog box appears.

1. Click the Advanced tab.
2. Under Reset Internet Explorer settings, click Reset. Then click Reset again.
3. When Internet Explorer finishes resetting the settings, click Close in the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box.
4. Start Internet Explorer again.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737#nextstep

Introduction

This article we will cover how to quickly repair your Internet explorer if you are having serious problems such as, explorer.exe (the system shell) won’t load, or if your Internet Explorer Web browser is completely corrupted. Both of these systems on your Windows Server or Desktop system will surely create headaches. Using the regsvr32 and sfc /scannow commands we will see how we can quickly repair our systems when disaster strikes.

This is a real life actual experience I encountered this past month while working on a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory repair. On one of the servers after we (working with Microsoft) applied tested hotfixes, explorer.exe wouldn’t load when rebooted. A script was deployed and within two fixes, the whole system came back to life when it looked as if an in place upgrade or fresh install would have been the next options of the evening.

Always remember to reapply hotfixes and service packs after repairing system files against any source disk.

First, we tried the quicker easier way. We attempted quick surgery – we attempted to repair the actual files that the shell and Internet Explorer uses.

(Remember – using scripts for the first time should always be done on a test system to ensure success)

Using regsvr32

The regsvr32 command-line tool registers *.dll files as command components in the registry. If you don’t know, a dynamic link library (*.dll) is a collection of smaller programs, which can be called upon when needed by an executable program, such as explorer.exe. The *.exe extension specifies an executable program, so if the *.dll files are corrupted; they will most likely not work properly and cause you problems. You can quickly re-register them with this command quickly and safely. First – you need to ensure that you need to repair Internet Explorer. You will know if, you have major problems with opening it (closes on its own), or you may have spyware that has corrupted it so badly that nothing can save it anymore.

Second – we need to make a batch file and get it on the server. This is easily done with a USB, CD-ROM or floppy drive. The batch file is made by opening up a word or text document and creating the actual script as seen here:

rem Script used to manually reregister Internet Explorer and Shell related *.dlls
rem Also included the Digital Signing and Cryptographic Provider *. dlls if needed
rem rundll32.exe advpack.dll /DelNodeRunDLL32 C:\WINNT\System32\dacui.dll
rem rundll32.exe advpack.dll /DelNodeRunDLL32 C:\WINNT\Catroot\icatalog.mdb
rem regsvr32 setupwbv.dll /s
rem regsvr32 wininet.dll /s
regsvr32 comcat.dll /s
regsvr32 CSSEQCHK.DLL /s
regsvr32 shdoc401.dll /s
regsvr32 shdoc401.dll /i /s
regsvr32 asctrls.ocx /s
regsvr32 oleaut32.dll /s
regsvr32 shdocvw.dll /I /s
regsvr32 shdocvw.dll /s
regsvr32 browseui.dll /s
regsvr32 browsewm.dll /s
regsvr32 browseui.dll /I /s
regsvr32 msrating.dll /s
regsvr32 mlang.dll /s
regsvr32 hlink.dll /s
rem regsvr32 mshtml.dll /s
regsvr32 mshtmled.dll /s
regsvr32 urlmon.dll /s
regsvr32 plugin.ocx /s
regsvr32 sendmail.dll /s
rem regsvr32 comctl32.dll /i /s
rem regsvr32 inetcpl.cpl /i /s
rem regsvr32 mshtml.dll /i /s
regsvr32 scrobj.dll /s
regsvr32 mmefxe.ocx /s
rem regsvr32 proctexe.ocx mshta.exe /register /s
regsvr32 corpol.dll /s
regsvr32 jscript.dll /s
regsvr32 msxml.dll /s
regsvr32 imgutil.dll /s
regsvr32 thumbvw.dll /s
regsvr32 cryptext.dll /s
regsvr32 rsabase.dll /s
rem regsvr32 triedit.dll /s
rem regsvr32 dhtmled.ocx /s
regsvr32 inseng.dll /s
regsvr32 iesetup.dll /i /s
rem regsvr32 hmmapi.dll /s
regsvr32 cryptdlg.dll /s
regsvr32 actxprxy.dll /s
regsvr32 dispex.dll /s
regsvr32 occache.dll /s
regsvr32 occache.dll /i /s
regsvr32 iepeers.dll /s
rem regsvr32 wininet.dll /i /s
regsvr32 urlmon.dll /i /s
rem regsvr32 digest.dll /i /s
regsvr32 cdfview.dll /s
regsvr32 webcheck.dll /s
regsvr32 mobsync.dll /s
regsvr32 pngfilt.dll /s
regsvr32 licmgr10.dll /s
regsvr32 icmfilter.dll /s
regsvr32 hhctrl.ocx /s
regsvr32 inetcfg.dll /s
rem regsvr32 trialoc.dll /s
regsvr32 tdc.ocx /s
regsvr32 MSR2C.DLL /s
regsvr32 msident.dll /s
regsvr32 msieftp.dll /s
regsvr32 xmsconf.ocx /s
regsvr32 ils.dll /s
regsvr32 msoeacct.dll /s
rem regsvr32 wab32.dll /s
rem regsvr32 wabimp.dll /s
rem regsvr32 wabfind.dll /s
rem regsvr32 oemiglib.dll /s
rem regsvr32 directdb.dll /s
regsvr32 inetcomm.dll /s
rem regsvr32 msoe.dll /s
rem regsvr32 oeimport.dll /s
regsvr32 msdxm.ocx /s
regsvr32 dxmasf.dll /s
rem regsvr32 laprxy.dll /s
regsvr32 l3codecx.ax /s
regsvr32 acelpdec.ax /s
regsvr32 mpg4ds32.ax /s
regsvr32 voxmsdec.ax /s
regsvr32 danim.dll /s
regsvr32 Daxctle.ocx /s
regsvr32 lmrt.dll /s
regsvr32 datime.dll /s
regsvr32 dxtrans.dll /s
regsvr32 dxtmsft.dll /s
rem regsvr32 vgx.dll /s
regsvr32 WEBPOST.DLL /s
regsvr32 WPWIZDLL.DLL /s
regsvr32 POSTWPP.DLL /s
regsvr32 CRSWPP.DLL /s
regsvr32 FTPWPP.DLL /s
regsvr32 FPWPP.DLL /s
rem regsvr32 FLUPL.OCX /s
regsvr32 wshom.ocx /s
regsvr32 wshext.dll /s
regsvr32 vbscript.dll /s
regsvr32 scrrun.dll mstinit.exe /setup /s
regsvr32 msnsspc.dll /SspcCreateSspiReg /s
regsvr32 msapsspc.dll /SspcCreateSspiReg /s
regsvr32 licdll.dll /s
regsvr32 regwizc.dll /s
regsvr32 softpub.dll /s
regsvr32 IEDKCS32.DLL /s
regsvr32 MSTIME.DLL /s
regsvr32 WINTRUST.DLL /s
regsvr32 INITPKI.DLL /s
regsvr32 DSSENH.DLL /s
regsvr32 RSAENH.DLL /s
regsvr32 CRYPTDLG.DLL /s
regsvr32 Gpkcsp.dll /s
regsvr32 Sccbase.dll /s
regsvr32 Slbcsp.dll /s
exit

Once you complete the file, it simply needs to be saved with a new extension, as you can see here – *.bat. (for batch file). You can name it whatever you want, as long as you remember to type at either a command prompt in safe mode, or if you can get the system to load without the shell and by doing a <ctrl> <alt> <del> you can get Task Manager, go to the Applications tab => New Task … button => and run the batch file in the Create a new task dialog box which is basically a renamed run dialog box if it looks familiar to you.

If you run this and reboot and you still do not have a shell… you need to run more surgery but this time – no anesthesia.

Using sfc /scannow

Now we will attempt to use the System File Checker tool to help to repair the system. If this fails, an in-place upgrade or a reinstall may be needed – as possible solutions to help you get the system back up and running. In this example we will discuss using Windows XP which is something you could try this on at home if you wanted to follow along. The system file checker can be used to restore original system files to a corrupted system from the source disk.

With the release of Windows Millennium Edition, Microsoft made a serious effort to stop instability of their software and crashes caused by making their operating systems protect themselves from problems caused by 3rd party software which would overwrite important system files.

Windows File Protection is always enabled and when enabled, (you can disable it) – it will definitely help you to keep only digitally signed drivers and software in place so that system crashes are more and more infrequent – if you remember (or still use) Window NT and 9x, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Windows Service Packs, Hotfix distributions, base operating system upgrades and updates are all digitally signed. The System File Checker is also a command line tool run as an executable programs from the command prompt (sfc.exe). The most frequently used switch with this tool is the /scannow option. Using the tool is simple.

Run sfc /scannow from the command prompt. You will see the following dialog box:

This command once executed will start the Windows File Protection service so that it can scan your systems ‘protected’ files and verify them against the source to ensure that they haven’t been corrupted. The tool will replace these files immediately upon finding them. You may get asked for the source disk, so make sure you have that with you. This would be the disk that contains your operating system, whether it is Windows XP, Windows 2000, and/or Windows Server 2003 and so on.

With heavily subsidized iPhone 3G now on the market, it’s understandable that all exclusive and greedy cell phone service providers that partner with Apple to sell iPhone 3G, such as AT&T, is going all out to squeeze every penny out of iPhone subscribers.

One such profiteering method is to remove free text messages from the phone call plan, where 200 free SMS is included in the original iPhone plan. Instead, iPhone 3G users have to pay $5 per month for 200 messages, or $15 per month for 1500 messages, or $20 per month for unlimited SMS messages. For FamilyTalk user, the cost is even higher, either $30 per month for unlimited text messages or $0.20 per message.

There are plenty of ways to send (and some able to receive replies) free text messages from iPhone and iPhone 3G. Another possible workaround to send free SMS from iPhone is for users who are using AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). Best of all, the trick to send free text messages via AIM and iChat works on iPod Touch too, as long as it has Internet connectivity via WiFi etc.

To send free SMS text messages via AIM in iPhone or iPod Touch, follow these steps:

1. Download and install AIM client for iPhone from the App Store, either in iTunes or iPhone.

2. Open iChat (or any other instant messaging client used in the mobile device), create a new buddy contact, and set his or her AIM address as his or her complete cellphone number (with country and area code) preceding with a plus sign (+). For example, +12065550551.

Cell Phone AIM Contact via iChat

3. On the iPhone, run AIM client. Once connected to the AIM service, the AIM client will load the stored buddy list from AIM’s server, and also reveal the new AIM contact with cell phone number created via iChat.

4. Tap the buddy name that want to send text messages to, then compose the text message, and tap Send to send out the SMS.

5. If there is any reply from the recipient, the return message will appear in AIM client.